20s Male Given Probation for "Turning Subway into a Bloodbath" After Refusing to Give Up Seat

Passenger Who Asked for Yielding Grabbed Collar and Pushed
Seoul Western District Court Sentences to 8 Months Imprisonment and 2 Years Probation

A man in his 20s who became enraged after being asked to give up his seat on the subway, assaulted the passenger, and threatened to kill him was sentenced to a suspended prison term.

According to the legal community on the 1st, Judge Seong Jun-gyu of the Seoul Western District Court Criminal Division 10 handed down a sentence of 8 months in prison with a 2-year suspension to Mr. A, a man in his 20s charged with assault, threats, and insult, on the 21st of last month.

Mr. A is accused of assaulting passenger Mr. B in front of multiple passengers inside a train on Seoul Subway Line 3 around 2 p.m. on June 17, after Mr. B asked him to give up his seat because he was occupying two seats. Upon hearing Mr. B’s request, Mr. A immediately stood up from his seat, pushed Mr. B’s chest several times, grabbed his collar, and shook him. Eventually, Mr. A was forced to get off the train by station staff, but he continued to hold Mr. B’s arm, pushed him against the screen door, and hurled insults.

When police officers arrived after a report and tried to restrain him, Mr. A took off his shirt, revealing tattoos, and threatened Mr. B by saying, "I will slit your throat and kill you," and "Let’s turn the subway station into a bloodbath today." Due to Mr. A’s assault, Mr. B sustained injuries requiring two weeks of medical treatment.

The court pointed out, "Considering the duration of the physical violence and the content of the insulting and threatening remarks during the incident, the nature of the crime is not good." Regarding the sentencing, the court explained, "However, it is difficult to consider the degree of injury sustained by the victim as severe."

Meanwhile, a total of 3,516 crimes occurred in the Seoul subway last year, an increase of about 4% from 3,378 cases in 2022. By type of crime, misappropriation of lost property was the most common with 1,408 cases (42%), followed by sex crimes with 1,230 cases (36%), theft with 855 cases (25%), and others (including assault, property damage, violations of the Railroad Safety Act, acquisition of stolen goods, minor offenses, obstruction of official duties by deception, etc.) with 23 cases (1%).